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Running in the morning

CedStowe

I mostly like trail/fell running but often organised runs such as races and social runs take place in the mornings. No matter what time I go to bed and wake up I just struggle in the mornings to properly wake up and feel like I have the energy to get going. Everything feels a bit too demanding to begin with, making breakfast, feeding and walking the dog, ensuring I've been to the toilet enough so that I won't have issues mid-run, cleaning myself fully after using the toilet, my body coming to terms with the temperature, packing my running pack, getting the car out of the garage and driving for over an hour. Any one else have these issues that others seem to be okay with? 

  • in reply to Fibonacci Squid
    Fibonacci Squid said:
    and cleaning fully after using the toilet (the phrasing to me would indicate that you are significantly more thoroughly cleaning than most people).

    I feel I have to be. I seem to have IBS type issues and it takes a bit of effort post BM to fully clean up. 

  • in reply to Iain

    Problem with camping is what do I do about going to the toilet? Or more specifically, the post BM clean up. It's quite a big concern for me.

    I do enjoy these runs once I get into them, but getting into them is a bit of a struggle. 

  • CedStowe said:
    No matter what time I go to bed and wake up I just struggle in the mornings to properly wake up and feel like I have the energy to get going.

    Some of us have a body clock that really does not cope well with change to routine and the most commonly used solutions are chemical stimulants - in most cases caffeine and sugar.

    They are not particularly healthy but if it is only an occasional use then it may be worth researching the health risks of having a strong coffee or energy drink to kick start your day. There are many millions of people who do this routinely but you need to be sure that you are comfortable with the potential health implications and affect that it has on you

    A hot drink tends to stimulate bowel movements, especially coffee, so this can be a positive side effect for what you describe. 

    All the other prep other than the car can be done the night before so plan ahead and it isn't an issue.

    It is worth considering if your resistance could be a subconcious effort to not want to do it. I have seen people find reasons to make changes difficult because they really don't want to do it, yet thet can overcome significant challenges to do something they really want to do. The subconcious self-sabateur is a wily opponent so it helps to think if you really actually want to do this.

    Personally I prefer to prep in advance, do all the start of day things on autopilot (I work from checklists if I have to wake up really early) this way I sleep better, don't get too stresed with the things I do in the morning and can arrived relatively alert for whatever task is awaiting me.

    If you are over an hour away then why not camp out the night before the event? It can turn the event into a bit of an adventure and you save the hassle of breaking out of the comfort of home and routine for it,

  • I don't do mornings, especially mornings before the say is in double figures.

    I think the only reason for mornings is to stop night and afternoon bumping into each other. I could even begin to fathom getting up and doing exercise at the crack of sparrowfart. It takes me a couple of hours to get myself ready for anything more than coffee when I get up. The more things I have to do the worse it is and I tend to be late and it puts the rest of the day out of whack.

  • I take a lot longer than other people to get up in the morning so for early starts I usually have to get up even earlier. Some things can be made easier with prep the day before (packing bag, make a breakfast that I can either eat straight away or can be microwaved while I do other morning things e.g. clean teeth and wash self) but it is the case that for some people it just takes longer. I am fortunate that I am somewhat of a morning person and if I have an activity I'm going to my brain is usually buzzing. 

    I also think it's important to recognise that there are some things on the list that other people won't have to deal with logistically, e.g. getting car out of garage (many people have street parking), driving for over an hour (many people may live closer), walking and feeding the dog (not everyone has a dog) and cleaning fully after using the toilet (the phrasing to me would indicate that you are significantly more thoroughly cleaning than most people). So it is of course going to be a bit more of a struggle. Some are just putting clothes on, drinking a premade smoothie, and leaving. 

    Don't beat yourself up for it, but if you find it's really bothering maybe start to see what you could do to cut down on the amount of stuff that needs to actually need to be doing that morning. Some social runs accept dogs for example, so if your dog is up for it that could be their walk.